Small Grant Projects
2022-2023
PAUSE-YOGA: AN 8-WEEK MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN’S SPORT STUDENT-ATHLETES TRANSITIONING INTO COLLEGE AND COLLEGIATE SPORT
Ling Beisecker, MS, LCMHC
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
J.D. DeFreese, Ph.D.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
White Paper & Embedded Video Presentation
This study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of PAUSE-Yoga, an 8-week mindfulness-based
yoga program to mitigate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among women’s sport student-
athletes transitioning into college and collegiate sport. Evidence supports yoga as an active recovery and
restorative activity to mitigate these prevalent mental health issues. Twenty-eight women’s sport
student-athletes from one ACC Division I collegiate athletic team were enrolled into the program.
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COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS:
“IT’S A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE”
White Paper & Embedded Video Presentation
Division I athletic departments have contended with loss of revenue following the COVID-19 pandemic, record turnover in employees (Huml et al., 2022), and rising costs to support the needs of student-athletes. Research has suggested that compassionate leadership is critically important during moments of crisis (Powley & Piderit, 2008) as well as in everyday scenarios (Dutton et al., 2014; Shuck et al., 2019). Compassionate leaders foster more loyalty and engagement (Shuck et al., 2019), as well as a sense of purpose, professional growth, and overall better mental and physical well-being (Tramuto, 2022). As a result, compassionate leaders foster healthier work environments, stronger teams, and deliver results even in times of turmoil (Tramuto, 2022). This qualitative study explored the leadership of compassionate athletic directors in NCAA Division I. Specifically, we explored compassionate leadership as a lived experience and how such leadership guides actions and builds relationships. To date, nine NCAA Division I athletic directors (8 men, 1 woman) representing FBS and FCS schools and conferences have been interviewed for this study. These individuals were identified as
compassionate leaders by peer athletic administrators in the industry. The findings from these interviews follows.
Meg G. Hancock, PhD, University of Louisville
Ehren R. Green, PhD, Temple University
Brad Shuck, EdD, University of Louisville
Matthew Thorne, MS, Student; University of Louisville
A CONTENT AND DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF NIL COLLECTIVE WEBSITES: WHAT ARE BOOSTERS AND ATHLETES BEING TOLD?
Molly Harry, Ph.D., The University of Arkansas
Sarah Stokowski, Ph.D., Clemson University
White Paper & Embedded Video Presentation
With the unfolding of era of name, image, and likeness (NIL) comes increased risk and
responsibilities for institutions and athletics departments, particularly concerning donor/sponsors and
athlete involvement in NIL collectives. Through a content and discourse analysis of NIL collective
websites across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) (N = 26) in Fall 2022, this research examined
content provided for donors/sponsors and athletes and what values were conveyed through this
communication. Four themes emerged from the collective websites, centering values related to
finance/compliance, athlete development, prestige of the collective, and campus/local community care.
With this knowledge, athletic administrators and collective stakeholders can better understand the
underlying purpose of collectives and what that purpose means for supporting—or not supporting
athletes.
NIL COLLECTIVES IMPACT ON ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT GIVING
Nels Popp, Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chris Greenwell, Ph.D., The University of Louisville
Patrick Walsh, Ph.D., Syracuse University
White Paper & Embedded Video Presentation
NCAA Division I athletics departments have seen an increase in NIL collectives, entities funded by boosters which enable student-athletes to take advantage of NIL opportunities. However, when supporters give to NIL collectives, it could come at the expense of other fundraising efforts-- consequently a substitution effect is observed. In the current study, donors of ACC institutions were surveyed to gauge their opinions towards donating to NIL Collectives and how it might impact their intent to continue to give to athletics departments.
